


A Thin Line

by mspeachykeen2012



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Drama, Happy Ending, JK it is :), M/M, Or Is It?, Romance, Witness Protection, nct - Freeform, nct127 - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-27
Updated: 2020-06-29
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:15:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,678
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24937414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mspeachykeen2012/pseuds/mspeachykeen2012
Summary: Jung Jaehyun is in witness protection, Johnny Suh is his Protection Officer. But when there is an attempt at Jaehyun's life, Johnny goes completely off script.
Relationships: Jung Yoonoh | Jaehyun/Suh Youngho | Johnny
Comments: 4
Kudos: 30





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> So, my first NCT universe. But I-- admittedly-- have been into Johnny and Jaehyun for a while. Just hadn't expressed it until I saw the "Two Romeos" JCC and was like, omg. I have an idea. And that grew into... well, this, haha. 
> 
> Anyways, there’s just a couple warnings: there is mention of blood, death and murder so if that is anything that makes you uncomfortable, feel free to skip this one ☺️ Also, there will be a healthy does of smut so again, if that’s not your thing, no worries. You just might want to skip this go 😁
> 
> For everyone else, please let me know what you think! :) Enjoy!
> 
> -Raven

The room was oddly comfortable—comforting.

There was little in this world that felt such a thing, so Jaehyun looked around and studied it. Just a leather couch, a dark oak side table that held a lamp and a fake ivy plant. Its leaves spilled over onto the tabletop, further down onto the floor. That was all.

But Jaehyun felt safe.

"So you… wait, before we begin," the man standing opposite from him said. The senior officer motioned to the door beyond him.

"No, thank you," Jaehyun said quietly.

"I know you are set to go tomorrow but I wanted to… you know, make sure you were…"

The younger man didn't understand why the veteran detective was stumbling over his words. They had done this dance many times before. For the last two years at least. Jaehyun quirked an eyebrow.

"Shit, I just want to make sure you are ok."

The silence was marked and Jaehyun felt any amusement drain out of him, any comfort bleed from the room.

He would never be ok. Not as long as she was still alive.


	2. Johnny Suh

There was a beauty to the sound that Officer John "Johnny" Suh's notepad made when it was opened. It had always rang nicely in his ears, the paper against the metal rings. And the small bend it made when he folded it back in his coat jacket.

"Your living arrangements are suitable?"

Johnny nodded, hand still sitting against the pad in his pocket. His eyes bounced around the small apartment, seeing but not taking in the furniture or set up. His thoughts were on the man.

Jung Jaehyun was most definitely not a boy, not at 25 and not with how he looked.

"Here are the keys—one for yours, one for his."

Their apartments, the Witness Protection Officer meant. Mr. Jung had been enrolled as a high risk witness, his life now in the protection of the law. Ever since he had come forward with evidence against a powerful crime family, agreeing to testify to this information against one of the family members in particular, Jung Jaehyun had become a highly sought prize to the underbelly of Seoul.

"And the alarm?" Johnny asked, eyes straying to their shared wall.

This wasn't Officer Suh's first or second assignment. But after his third, eventually others had noticed that the 27 year old officer was actually quite good at being body guard, watchman and scarecrow for their most notable cases. It was also that he had no strings attached—wife, kids, life—that allowed him to work for years on one assignment without complaint.

"In each of his rooms, one right next to the entrance. Cameras are set up in your den—" at the officer's pause, Johnny met his eyes. "He knows about them."

Jaehyun was aware it was for his own safety.

That didn't make it any easier and while this was Johnny's first case where the witness was a single man with no accompanying family members, he knew it would be a hard first year. It always was.

"I should leave you to it then."

Johnny contemplated the statement as he slipped out of his own apartment and knocked on his ward's door.

His ward?

Not quite but not untrue. Jung Jaehyun's safety was his responsibility. So much so that they were sharing a wall and Johnny had a key to his apartment. There wasn't much that he didn't know about Jaehyun—or what was in the young man's file, at least.

Jaehyun had been scholarly and obedient. His looks were second to his personality and third was his effortless work ethic. He had served his military time earning high ranks and emerged a highly educated, highly talented business man within a couple years. It was hard to find a better modeled man it seemed.

Then he met her.

The door opened, Jaehyun having seen Johnny on the big surveillance center in the kitchen. The brunette smiled, it was written on the black haired man's face. And with the way he watched Johnny back, unsmiling and unforgiving, it was obvious he was a bit perturbed by the interruption.

"We've met, I know," Johnny said easily. "But I wanted to make sure you were comfortable."

Jaehyun watched him back for a second, as if he was thinking of what he wanted to say. Then he nodded, stepping aside so that Johnny could come in.

"No, no, I didn't mean to intrude. I just…"

"It's fine. I was just trying to get the coffee machine to work." Jaehyun motioned behind him. "I think its broken."

Johnny smiled again, this one a little wider.

Stepping inside, the officer looked around. Face scrunching in familiarity, he didn't mention aloud that their apartments were identical—furniture and all.

"I'll make sure they bring you another," he said instead, his fingers tapping on the kitchen counter as he passed through. He then threw the younger man a warm look, one that was returned with some healthy skepticism. Johnny knew it would take time, it always did. "For now, there's a café downstairs. What do you want?"  
  


-

Seven Months Later | Eight Months Until the Trial

"Plot twist: the heroine becomes the criminal."

Jaehyun rolled his eyes and put down his card. Humphing, he put another coin into the center of the table. "Too cliché."

Johnny squinted, holding his cards up to hide his lips, tapping them against his mouth as he pondered what story the other man had crafted today. They were getting good at this game and when there was nothing else to talk about, it had a relaxing nature to it.

"So the plot twist is _not_ cliché?"

With the corner of his mouth curving, Jaehyun motioned to his cards.

Pretending to smack down a card, Johnny's eyes lit up as he spread out the four matching pairs. He cackled as he swiped the pot of coins between them, offering a charming smile when Jaehyun laid down his cards.

"Ah, you win again," he said lowly. But while there wasn't anything indicating he was enjoying himself, there was an appreciative mirth to his face. Johnny accepted it greedily.

"OK. Plot twist…" the older man paused as he stood. Reaching for his suit jacket, he spoke, "the heroine's father becomes the criminal?"

Jaehyun raised as well, going around the couch the opposite way and started to draw the blinds closed. Johnny watched as he did, knowing that the silence was not an indication of emotion. After months together, day in and day out, the officer had learned to read his responsibility. And it turned out they were perfectly suited—Johnny liked to chat, Jaehyun so far did not. But it had built a report between the two. One that made Johnny feel like he was protecting a person and not an "it", one that made Jaehyun's fear of every noise and person abate a little.

They were not friends, so incredibly far from it. But over the past half year, it had become easier to be around each other. The awkwardness was killer and Johnny was glad they had gotten through the hardest part.

"I give up. What did your mind conjure up today?"

Jaehyun sometimes looked at Johnny with words behind his eyes and when it didn't make him uncomfortable, it made him curious. Which was worse.

This time, Jaehyun gave the older man quite the look and if it was possible, Johnny would have perished instantly.

"The heroine dies."

Blinking, Johnny looked away and then down. "Wait," he snapped his fingers. "She can't."

"She can," Jaehyun easily corrected, grabbing a couple of ingredients from the pantry. "She does, actually."

"But she was the main character. Everyone loved her."

"Sad story, huh?"

Johnny watched as the black haired man made a quick supper, humming slightly as he whisked everything together in a metal bowl. Narrowing his eyes at the scraping sound, he just watched.

The way the man shifted his upper body towards the counters, his feet planted on the foam kitchen mat. Jaehyun had a habit of doing things very intentionally. His hands reached for the pot of boiling water, hissing slightly when his finger tips touched too far down the handle.

"You staying in?" Johnny asked, leaning against the door as he slipped into his loafers.

There was no reason for him to dress up—surely, he could protect Jaehyun in sweatpants and sandals but it muddied the waters. He dressed in his suits because he _was_ working. They weren't buddies hanging out, playing cards and stupid mind games. Jaehyun had a target on his back, Johnny was in charge of making sure no one could see the bullseye.

"When do I ever leave?" Jaehyun shot back, not angry but not amused either.

"You went to the library a few weeks ago."

"I am not going anywhere tonight. You should head to bed."

Johnny nodded, keeping his shoulder against the entrance door. "You know…"

Jaehyun looked up into his eyes, turning his body around on the mat. He had a bowl of food in one hand, his utensils in the other. He was swimming in a sweatshirt and his shorts were long and thin. His little black sandals clicked when he moved around during the day.

Johnny smiled. "They don't know where you are."

"I know," was returned quietly.

"And I am here."

"I know that," was returned even quieter this time.

"Good. Have a good night, I'll check in on you tomorrow morning."

-

Jaehyun watched the door shut softly, his eyes tracing the man that had just been there. He was long, every part of him was long—legs, arms, torso. And Jaehyun had never felt small in his short life, but with one look to his guard, he would find himself squeezed into a box. Maybe it was the officer's aura that was so large. It suffocated him most times.

But that could have also been the past three years, the constant threat to his life, the fear wrapped around his neck tightening with each day.

Bringing his dinner to the coffee table in the middle of the living room, he swept away the cards and coins to one side of the glass top. Placing down his food, he leaned down to eat.

Once he finished, he'd shower. Then he'd read some. He was currently really into a set of web comics that featured a pretty funny and clever cast. Even when the rest of the plot lacked, he could always count on these characters to produce a smile.

Then he'd go to bed and wake up to the same routine he'd had for the last seven months.

And he still had eight more to go.

Jaehyun wiped at his mouth. He wondered if his mother would be proud he could cook now. He wondered if his father would be proud of how he was standing up to them.

Even if it killed him. Even if it got him killed.

Though, in hindsight, doing the right thing two years ago didn't seem all that noble when he was holed up in a one bedroom apartment with no way to contact his family or friends. With no way to ever live a normal life after. All of his social media accounts had been deleted and wiped, no bills in his name anymore. They had made him vanish into thin air.

The police had promised it would be just until after the trial.

But Jaehyun knew better than that. Knew that the Kim group would not stop. He'd have to start over somewhere else, rural and remote and away from everything he held dear.

All because he had done the right thing and reported his girlfriend's criminal dealings, including murder.

Perhaps that’s why he did it—because he had witnessed more than a crime family destroying lives through drugs and guns. Perhaps seeing the man bleeding out on his condo floor, his lifeless eyes staring at the ceiling. Jaehyun's girlfriend had simply cursed, her hands going to her blouse.

That fucker had ruined it, she whined.

They had gone to bed that night, his girlfriend in his arms just like any other, with a dead corpse in his living room.

Jaehyun looked at the half empty bowl in front of him to the floor beneath his slippered feet. Blinking, he tried to bring up the imagery technique his court appointed therapist had once told him. That when he thought of that man, the one laying in a spreading pool of blood, to quickly think of something—anything else.

Jaehyun suddenly thought of two people kissing. They had no features he recognized, just two people kissing and he breathed deeply as they continued. After a long minute—they were always long—he thought away from the kissing couple and returned to reality.

No longer hungry, he stood slowly, fear having made his bones stiff. It was amazing how quickly he could be reminded of it, one simple thought and it would engulf him so surely as it had that night.

But Johnny had said they didn't know where he was.

Of course he didn't believe it—although, Jaehyun wasn't quite sure he knew where they were. He just knew he was in a one bedroom apartment, down the street from a library and upstairs from a café. Knew everyone thought he was somewhere else, each having been told a story.

Getting ready for bed, he checked his watch before slipping it off his wrist. Then he typed the alarm code and heard the succession of beeps and rings. It gave him a little solace, but never enough. He figured the next time he'd get a good rest was when he was dead.


	3. Lost and Found

Johnny awoke to ringing in his ears, the kind heard in the after shock of a loud automatic rifle or an explosion. Narrowing his bleary eyes, he sat up and tried to piece together what was happening.

There was no time though, because he recognized the sound as the alarm blaring next door. Forcing himself to break from the revelation, Johnny threw himself out of the bed, running towards the security cameras in his den. Skidding to a halt in front of the monitors, he recognized Jaehyun's figure as it pushed up against the front door with all his might. In black and white, Johnny could barely make out who or what was trying to get in but it was a fleeting want—to try and see who. Because he needed to be over there, he needed to protect. 

Hopping out of the room, his long strides paired with his easy reach for the gun holstered against the door side table. Deftly switching off the safety and cocking the glock, Johnny didn't wait for his senses to normalize.

Throwing open his front door, he easily aimed at the perpetrators. His breath hitched. There was no one in the hallway. Instead, the door had been forced open and was just about to close. Rushing into Jaehyun's apartment before the door locked behind him, Johnny hollered out to the men trying to restrain the younger man.

There were three in all and when they all looked to him brandishing the gun, their plans had swiftly turned suicidal. Johnny knew they were willing to kill for their group. He knew they were willing to die for their group.

Jaehyun's eyes trembled as the gun in one man's hand turned on him, pressing into his temple. Johnny didn't think.

The first shot hit the stranger in jaw—non lethal. The second shot hit the man on Jaehyun's other side in the kneecap—again, in hopes of injuring.

The third shot hesitated, waiting to see what the final criminal was going to do. Was he going to do as his brothers had been trying to do? Was he going to try to kill Jaehyun even if it cost him his own life.

Johnny shot him square between the eyes as he raised his weapon to the cop himself.

Scrambling away, Jaehyun made his way to Johnny who yanked him up and out of the room. They had no time to figure out what was going on—not here at least. They needed out.

Throwing Jaehyun into the apartment next door, Johnny quickly went into his room, wrenching open drawers and closets. When he returned, Jaehyun was still on the floor, arms wrapped around his shoulders as he shook.

Johnny made a phone call to his superior, the only one who would understand his message before putting it in the garbage disposal and turning it on. There would be police on their way, the alarms had been swinging on and off since this all started minutes ago. Heaving his "go" bag onto his back, he quickly reached for Jaehyun.

They didn't have time for explanations. The pair needed to go before more man power came now that they knew he was still in country.

But the younger man wasn't quick to his feet and Johnny knew this was scary, that this was the worst case scenario. But Jaehyun _had_ no other choice and if they were going to get out of the building alive, Johnny needed his help.

Tightening his hand around the other man's bicep, Johnny looked into Jaehyun's eyes. They were set but soft, threatening to drip tears to mix with the sweat from adrenaline. Swallowing, the officer spoke quickly:

"I'll keep you safe. Just come with me."

Suddenly, Jaehyun's eyes went blank. Johnny cursed; he was in shock.

Hoisting him against his hip, Johnny hurried out the planned escape route, hearing voices as they slipped into the staircase. Scaling them almost two at a time, Johnny grunted as he balanced the weight of the duffel bag and the stumbling Jaehyun in his arms.

But there was a reprieve—once they burst out of the exit, the sirens wailing around the corner, there was an all black Chrysler with dark paint and even darker tint. Grinding to a stop, Johnny carefully stepped in front of Jaehyun. Hands grabbed at his side, tightening into his tank top.

Raising his gun square at the driver side window, Johnny asked who it was.

The window drew down to reveal his superior officer. The only one who was informed of _Plan B_. Because if the Kim group had found out where Jaehyun was being kept, that could only mean one thing: there was an inside man within the Witness Protection Agency.

"Get in."

There were no more words and as Johnny stuffed Jaehyun in the closest back seat, he also threw his bag against the other side. The car lurched forward before the door shut and it was all the brunette could do to get inside before they were off.

-

Jaehyun woke up in a car, with leather seats that smelled of polishing oil. His face was pressed against the window seal, body slumped against it.

He was absolutely exhausted. Every movement felt like it was in slow motion and his head throbbed wickedly on one side. Bringing fingers to his temple, he pressed on the pain.

"Does it hurt?"

Jaehyun was about to answer Johnny as he normally did but things were starting to clear in his mind, things of what and where and who. His head snapped to his right, frantic eyes taking in the worn tshirt and boxers Johnny was in. The gun that lay openly in his lap. The splatters of blood on his clothes.

Jaehyun looked down. He was covered in much more.

Immediately he thought of the young man laying dead in his condo, ink black blood draining from him as Jaehyun watched.

"Two… kissing," he wheezed, squeezing his eyes shut. His hands tightened in his own shirt.

"Jaehyun, its ok," Johnny said sternly, closer than before. His arms were starting to wind around him. He tried to grab ahold of that thought, the distracting one with the two people kissing but as he recognized the smell of copper, the fear slowly crawled down his throat. He couldn't breathe.

Johnny continued to speak though it sounded so far from him and the things he said were the things he always said: Its ok. I am here. You are safe.

"Kissing," Jaehyun begged his mind, anything to rid the suffocating thought of people dead, blood smearing, lifeless eyes staring _at him_.

And then he pictured it—the two people kissing. Like a wand, it erased everything else. The noise dropped out and he felt his mouth move with them, he felt the breath of a sigh across his face. They kissed in a magical moment, these two people and he thought of nothing else.

Fingers untangling, Jaehyun let his chest collapse, breath stuttering as he blinked awake. In his head, they were saying I love you and for the moment, that gave him peace.

But when his eyes opened, he realized his mouth was pressed against Johnny's. Their open eyes stared back at each other and the older man took back his tongue.

"Oh my god," Jaehyun whispered, pushing his back against the window.

"I-I'm sorry. You said kiss me and—"

"I did not!"

Johnny's face screwed up slightly. "You… did. You kept asking me to—"

Shaking his head, Jeahyun firmly pushed the other even farther away. "I wasn't talking to you!"

"Who were you talking to then?!"

Jaehyun cursed, bringing his palms to his eyes. Pressing, he sighed. "It doesn't fucking matter."

Johnny steeled his jaw this time, some of his patience fading. "I thought it would calm you down."

Jaehyun roiled. "By kissing me?! Are you fucking crazy?" Then, as if realizing there were bigger issues at hand, he looked to the front seat. "Calm me down from what?"

At the silence, Jaehyun forced the older man to look at him. "What is going on?"

The look on Johnny's face said it all and it didn't take but a second to realize the blood on his clothes were just the tip of the iceberg.

She had found him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope yall are liking this so far! I know it kinda jumps right into the craziness, but I promise it will get better as we go along :) Thanks for giving this a chance! Until next time!


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